[popeye13]

Both are FTA right now on:

12207 V 27500 - PickTV & +1

11565 V 27500 - Challenge & +1

[DragonQ]

Ha, three hours after I signed up to Sky. Typical.

Any suggestion as to whether this is permanent or not? If Sky were going to make some channels FTA (and eventually on Freesat) in order to advertise their other channels, it would be these two as they're already on Freeview.

[popeye13]

Originally Posted by DragonQ

Ha, three hours after I signed up to Sky. Typical.

I will have a moments silence for you That does suck i agree

EDIT: I notice you added more to your post.
I don't know if its a temporary thing or permanent, id like it to be the latter but we will see in the next day i suppose.
If anything, i would suggest that Challenge would be the one to join Freesat if any of them were to, but you never know.

[soulboy77]

Anyone looked at the other FTV channels?

[rossi_dr]

Originally Posted by soulboy77

Anyone looked at the other FTV channels?

FTV
Yes
Motors-Tv Sony-Tv/Movies LFC Viva Etc ask for the card

Challenge + PickTv dont ask for the card (FTA)

all other Sky pay channels ask to upgrade your subscription

[peter_sharp1uk]

This must be an error. I can`t see sky leaving these free for long.

[koantemplation]

Originally Posted by peter_sharp1uk

This must be an error. I can`t see sky leaving these free for long.

They are both on Freeview so I don't see why it should matter.

[mersey70]

Originally Posted by koantemplation

They are both on Freeview so I don't see why it should matter.

It could be down to rights, they are on beams that are receivable across large parts of Europe. Having said that I think Challenge isn't even available in the Sky Freesat package.

I hope they both stay FTA.

[koantemplation]

Originally Posted by mersey70

It could be down to rights, they are on beams that are receivable across large parts of Europe. Having said that I think Challenge isn't even available in the Sky Freesat package.

I hope they both stay FTA.

Yes I see your point re the rights.

I hope they stay FTA too as it is easier to record them on Freesat rather than Freeview.

[soulboy77]

Originally Posted by mersey70

....Having said that I think Challenge isn't even available in the Sky Freesat package...

You are correct, having had a look at the FSFS offerings, I naturally assumed Challenge would be FTV status because on its availability on Freeview

[ags_rule]

Excellent news about Challenge +1, makes it easier to watch TNA

[soulboy77]

Originally Posted by ags_rule

Excellent news about Challenge +1, makes it easier to watch TNA

Don't hold your breath, I'm sure the encryption will be back on before too long once someone at Sky Mission Control realises the error.

[mike65]

Just spotted this on another message board, did a quick flick through and alas nothing else changed, why the change

[jzee]

Sky deciding to be less evil? It doesn't really make much sense for them to be on Freeview & not on Freesat now all the other main providers have resolved satellite rights issues.

[joshua_welby]

I have just checked my Sky box and indeed Challenge and Pick TV are both unencrypted, all we need now is for Quest and Quest+ to join the line-up and go the same way

How long this will last is anyone's guess

[DANCE OF DEATH]

I have both Challenge and challenge +1 working on both freesat boxes. I hope it stays that way, I have just used the the Pick TV and I have Sky News on Freesat Box now as well after going both those scans

[rossi_dr]

Originally Posted by DANCE OF DEATH

I have both Challenge and challenge +1 working on both freesat boxes. I hope it stays that way, I have just used the the Pick TV and I have Sky News on Freesat Box now as well after going both those scans

if you haven't got them added to Freesat the Travel Channel / +1 and the Community channel have some good stuff on them
they might be worth a look at too

[TelevisionUser]

...and here are my comments:

Originally Posted by TelevisionUser

Perhaps they've done this to promote Sky's pay-TV services to a wider audience or perhaps they want to rid themselves of the costs of the free-to-view card system and service?

The Free-to-view option is increasingly irrelevant anyway since the defection of Channel 5's digital offshoot channels a while back.

I might wait a day or so to do a rescan to see if this is a permanent change whatever the reason for Sky doing this.

[joshua_welby]

Originally Posted by TelevisionUser
Perhaps they've done this to promote Sky's pay-TV services to a wider audience or perhaps they want to rid themselves of the costs of the free-to-view card system and service?

The Free-to-view option is increasingly irrelevant anyway since the defection of Channel 5's digital offshoot channels a while back.

The Free-To-View option is not irrelevant as there are still plenty of channel left over that are still Free-To-View like the Sony TV set of channels for example

[Paddy C]

I doubt this is permanent. On another forum someone said these channels first appeared as numbers before being given proper names which suggests this is just a transponder move.

I highly doubt these channels are staying FTA, there would have been an announcement about them by now surely and some fanfare at least if they were joining Freesat's line-up?

[jzee]

Originally Posted by joshua_welby

The Free-To-View option is not irrelevant as there are still plenty of channel left over that are still Free-To-View like the Sony TV set of channels for example

Well maybe they are closing it, and all left over will either have to pay or FTA.

[Winston_1]

Originally Posted by DragonQ

Ha, three hours after I signed up to Sky. Typical.

Do you have a cooling off period?

[DragonQ]

I didn't sign up to Sky just for Challenge and PickTV (both of which I have already).

[TelevisionUser]

Originally Posted by jzee

Well maybe they are closing it, and all left over will either have to pay or FTA.

When Channel 5 made their digital offshoot channels free to air that left only about half a dozen channels in the free to view format which makes it a pretty redundant and pointless format especially bearing in mind the administration costs, etc.

Those few channels left on the free to view format might as well either go free to air or join Sky's base entertainment pack.

[M60]

You also have to remember now that NDS isn't a Murdoch owned organisation anymore so even Sky have to pay, yes, pay another party (Cisco) for NDS Encryption. Challenge was never FTV as under Virgin it was a pay channel on Sky, presumably the encryption contract between Virgin and NDS has now expired, obviously it's now Sky and NDS for Challenge as Sky bought the Virgin channels. As for Pick TV, that will be in a form of contract with NDS and Sky will have to pay them for encryption on these channels. It may be that Sky deem them so low quality that the encryption costs on satellite aren't worth it considering they are free on DTT.

This could be one big mistake but I'd have thought they'd had spotted it by now and put them FTV or pay again. Someone commented that they were transponder moves, I'm not aware these were moved from one transponder to another today, just have gone FTA. Can anyone confirm if the encryption flag is still set?